“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven… “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Luke 6:37, 41-42 NIV
Jesus continues His theme of life under God’s rule. For example, as we have already considered, hatred and retaliation continues the flow of ruptured relationships. Kindness and mercy rapidly turn the tide of alienation towards reconciliation and harmony.
In this section, Jesus’ words hit low and cut deep…into the belly and heart of the hypocrite! The underlying driving force in the lives of humans is to be better than everyone else. This trend is seen most clearly in our determination to criticise and judge others. We pass judgment on everyone and everything as we see them, using our own estimation of what is right and wrong in another according to the way we view ourselves. I am the measure and what I think of you depends on who and what I think I am.
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment?”
Romans 2:1-3 NIV
Jesus cancelled that standard of measurement as illegitimate. He calls us, not to judge by the standard we set up but by the measurements demanded by the truth of God Himself. Instead of placing ourselves above others by judging what we think is right or wrong, we recognise that we all stand on level ground before His scrutiny.
“All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Romans 3:12 NIV
“…There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…”
Romans 3:22-23 NIV
How then, dare I pass judgment on another, even if his sin seems worse than mine? His sin, as well as mine, springs from the same source…unbelief in the truth of who God is and what God has said.
Judging others, then, is hypocrisy in its worst form because I am trying, with my own face smeared with dirt, to scrub the dirt off my brother’s face. Judging is a subtle way of saying,”I am God!”…pride that will land us in hell.
With what, then, must we replace judgment? If I become aware of another’s failure, how must I deal with it?
First, Jesus said, “Don’t judge, forgive!” Forgiveness levels the playing field. Forgiveness wipes away the reason for my judgment. Forgiveness humbly admits that my debt is as great as the one I am judging.
Then, Paul gives us God’s solution.
“Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, for each one should carry their own load.”
Galatians 6:1-5 NIV
First, love is the oil that keeps the gears of fellowship moving smoothly. Without the compassion that sees us both on the same side, even attempts to restore become a wall, not a bridge.
Paul warns against temptation.
“But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”
Tempted to do what? The temptation is subtle but real. When I pass judgment on another, I do what Jesus hated most in the Pharisees…I change my status from alongside to above another. In God’s kingdom, no one is higher than anyone else. Everyone is there only through God’s mercy and grace. Merit accounts for nothing!
When a king addresses a beggar, in God’s eyes, they are equal.
“For God does not show favoritism.”
Romans 2:11 NIV
So, the counsel of Scripture is clear. Be on guard! There is only one standard for all people. If I pick others out for wrongdoing, I judge myself as well because I add my sin to theirs through my hypocrisy. God’s standards are just…one size fits all!
To be continued…